Story about the champion
by SerenityQueenxX
Summary: "Can you tell me the story?" A little black-haired girl climbed on the elf sitting in an old armchair. She couldn't sleep, that's why her father have to deal with her. He decides to tell her a story about the princess and the slave.


The moon was high above the sky. Stars were shining like a dimonds and the whole sky was like a beautiful palette of colours. The whole world was silent and calm, without any noises or shouts.

In a small cottage a little girl approached the sleeping elf in an old armchair. His eyes were shut and he was snoring quietly. In fact she didn't want to wake him up but she didn't want to be alone in night either. Slowly the girl climbed on him and reached to his face.

„Daddy" she whispered, jet-black bangs of her hair were tickling his face, but the elf only turned on the other side.

„Daddy!" She said again a bit louder.

The elf finally moved slightly and focused his green eyes on a small, plumpy face. Her eyes in a deep shade of blue were looking at him impatiently.

„Didn't you hear me, daddy?" she asked.

„What is it lady?" he asked with a delicate smile. He put his hand on girl's hair and ruffled it gently. „You can't sleep?"

She nodded and crouched in his arms without any warning.

„Can you tell me the story?" she asked looking at him.

The elf was a bit surprised to hear that. He has been telling her the same story again and again for the past two years and she wasn't fed up with it, but in fact it was also a bit comforting because the memories and this girl were everything he had now.

„Are you sure?" he asked with a tricky smile „I think that uncle Varric is a much better story-teller than I am"

„No one is better than daddy!" she said stubbornly. Wide smile showed on her face.

The elf just had to give up. He knew all along that It's is impossible to win with his daughter. She was as stubborn as her mother. He sighed and then he closed the girl in his gentle grip.

„All right" he said and looked at the window. In fact he didn't know, how he should start. Every time he tried to tell her this particular story, elf remembered many things and it was hard to start in the same way. Sometimes he really admired Varric for his creativity.

„Long long ago, there was a slave and the princess…" The girl was the first one to start. „Don't you remember, daddy?"

The elf laughed shortly and ruffled his daughter's hair again.

„You're right, lady" he said, and carried on. „His name was Leto and princess's name was Lirei. Leto was an elf, whose task was to guard his master even with his own life. He hated that life, but princess's life wasn't that easy too. Lirei was raised as the oldest daughter of Hawke family. She was treasured and respected by many people. There was only one, slight problem …"

„She was a mage, right?" the girl interrupted. „Is magic always a bad thing, daddy?"

The elf sighed and smiled to her.

„It depends. There are some good mages too." His reasuring voice, calmed the girl down. „Like our princess."

Girl smiled and moved closer to father. That was a sign for the elf to continue his story.

„One day, the master made something terrible to his guardian. With some special substance he made some painful markings on his skin. They gave Leto special powers, he was strong, but he didn't like them at all. He hated them." He stopped, that wasn't a part which he liked the most. He stayed silent for a while but the girl was looking at him impatiently so the elf haven't choice. „Leto forgot about his past life. He became Fenris the master's guardian wolf"

„What about princess?" the girl asked.

The elf smiled for the change of character.

„Well, she also had difficult life. One day something bad happened. The princess had to run away from her city and home. With her mom, sister, brother and also her loyal dog, she had to leave her convenient life".

„That is sad isn't it?" the girl interrupted again. Her eyes were a bit teary. „She lost her sister, right, daddy?"

„True" He said and gave her a smooth kiss on the cheek. „But she was given with something dfferent. Can you tell me what was that?"

Black-haired child smiled widely.

„Of course!" She said proudly. „The best friends on the Earth!"

„Exactly. Friends who were there in every bad moment in her life. She lost her position. She became a refugeee on her uncle's debt, but she didn't give up. She started to earn money with her own strength and finally that particular moment came."

The elf smiled to himself. For a while he was deeply in thought. The girl couldn't tell what was in his mind at this particular moment, but something was telling her to wait.

„While Lirei was hardly trying to earn some money in order to bring back her family respect, Fenris also made an important decision. He decided to run away from his master Danarius so he would never be a slave again. Unfortunately it wasn't that easy."

„Wasn't he tired of that?" The girl's voice was doubtful.

The elf laughed.

„Of course he was. Wouldn't you?"

The girl shrugged.

„I don't know. I don't like running. Not if I don't need to."

„See? He didn't want to either, but he wanted to be free so that one night, the fate brought the slave and the princess together."

The elf looked at his daughter. Her eyes were closing slowly, but she was probably too stubborn to go to sleep and he knew that.

„At first, Fenris wasn't sure about princess's comapny. He was afraid of her magic. He was pretty sure that someday, somehow the princess's will change into a monster. Only beacuase he knew that bad magic. Magic which was his enemy. Magic which was his master's, but the fact that the princess saved him was something that he should have been grateful about. So he indeed thanked her. He decided to become her comapnion and… You know what happened next, right lady?" He looked at her. His green eyes reflecting his small girl were definetely „puppy eyes" as Merrill once said. Then he didn't want to admit that but maybe at the end she was right.

The sleepy child nodded with a tired smile.

„They fell in love, daddy. Fenris convinced himself to the princess." She yawned loudly. „She was a good person. A champion respected by all. Her magic became her best weapon and Fenris became her guard and lover. They were happy together."

„Yes. They were the happiest lovers in the whole world …" Then he became silent. He looked at the window. The moon was hidden by clouds so the room was swollen by the darkness. The campfire was the only source of light, but even that fire gave the elf some uneasy feelings .

„Daddy? You look sad." The girl said.

The elf stirred. He gave her the best smile he could and then hugged her tighter.

„It's allright, Macie." He said. „Close your eyes. You must be tired."

„Daddy… there is the last part, right?" She asked. Her blue eyes were glossy and tired but she looked at him with a serious and determined face. „You' ve never told me, but … am I right?"

The elf smiled sadly.

„Maybe. But you don't need to know it."

The girl didn't look convinced, but she was too tired to argue. A bit later she closed her eyes and in a short while she fell asleep. The elf ruffled her jet-black hair and gave her a smooth kiss on the top of the head, then he gently lifted her up and laid in the huge bed.

„Sleep well, my lady." He said.

Macie was so small and inocent, but at the same time she resembled her mother. Her mental strength and stubborn personality were just like Hawke's. He smiled at the statement and he came closer to the shelf. In the first drawer there was a wooden box with some golden ornaments. He opend it and took out the bandana. The red piece of material had some dried bloody spots on It – Mementos of all battles they've been through. They were like pieces of memories they shared, the love they felt and the promises they made.

And now Hawke wasn't here anymore.

There was one more thing inside. The drawing of three people. It was the first and the last drawing where they were together. He, Hawke and little Macie who couldn't have been more than one year old. The elf smiled sadly. That was HIS family. Family that he has never had before.

„Mommy was amazing, right daddy?"

The silent childish and a bit sleepy voice echoed in his ears. Macie was still in bed but for

a short while, she looked at him one more time with her deep blue gaze. He came to her side and gently stroked her cheek.

„Of course she was. Just like you." He said sincerely.

The girl sent him a sweet smile and then her eyes closed again. The elf didn't know when he softened so much, but he hasn't had any hatred in his heart anymore. He was truly free.

Then he looked at the drawing again and he read a signature in the back.

 _Forever in our hearts_

 _Fenris, Hawke & Macie_


End file.
